Australian Surfers Have A Whale Of A Time!

A group of surfers were recently treated to an incredible encounter with a Southern right whale off the coast of Sydney, Australia!

The Southern right whale (so called because it was considered by whalers to be the best, or ‘right’, whale to hunt), was swimming along the coast close to the city of Sydney when it stumbled across the group of surfers. The surfers had gone out to catch some waves, but ended up catching a lot more than they had bargained for as they caught sight of the huge whale swimming in the water. The whale was apparently in a playful mood as it swam very close to their boards and watched them as they paddled by!

The encounter was captured on film by a helicopter, and spectacular footage can be seen by clicking on this link to a BBC Newsround report.

Although this was an exciting experience for the surfers, it should be known that swimming close to whales can be very dangerous. Whales and dolphins are large and powerful creatures that could harm us even if they don’t mean too.

Southern right whale fact!Did you know that Southern right whales have patches of rough skin on their heads called callosities? These patches are often covered in whale lice that make the callosities look white in colour. For more information on Southern right whales, please see the WDC Species Guide page!